Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock wah pedal up for auction

Despite its appearance, the Vox logo is actually the relief where it was supposed to be glued on.
Despite its appearance, the Vox logo is actually the relief where it was supposed to be glued on.

The wah pedal that Jimi Hendrix used at Woodstock, as well as an amp used on early Experience recordings, are set to be auctioned early next year.

Amp guru Dave Weyer modded the V846 'Sepulveda' wah for Hendrix ahead of 1969's Woodstock Festival, and after extensive research has apparently asserted its provenance.

"It can be identified by the lack of a Vox logo on the front, the relief where the logo was supposed to be glued on, a West Coast sticker on the bottom, and Jimi's signature on the inside of the casing wall, applied at a difficult angle, but identifiable nonetheless," says Weyer.

The low noise and the sharp sweep are clearly audible in the Woodstock recordings

"And, of course, the things he loved the most, the low noise and the sharp sweep, clearly audible in the Woodstock recordings."

A Guild Thunderbass amp is also going under the hammer, which was apparently used in Hendrix's early Experience days before functioning as a preamp later.

Weyer worked with a host of high-profile artists during the '60s and '70s, including Hendrix, Neil Young, Crosby Stills and Nash, Burritos Bothers, Vanilla Fudge, Three Dog Night, and Ike and Tina Turner.

The pedal and amp go up for sale on new year's day at J Levine Auction & Appraisal in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more info, head over to J Levines.

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.